


Peace by Piece

by Spokane



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Abby is a self reliant BAMF, F/M, Family Feels, Flashbacks abound, is it awkward to have a crush on someone after you attended their funeral?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-06-28 16:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15710550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spokane/pseuds/Spokane
Summary: After her rescue and the subsequent incarceration of her father, Abigail Callaghan is left to pick up the pieces of her old life. Using old connections and forging new ones as she goes- she slowly she begins to put her life back in order.But as the dust begins to settle, she finds that there's one connection in particular that just seems to keep turning up.





	1. now that she's back in the atmosphere

**Author's Note:**

> Hello BH6 fandom and rare-pairings! Sorry I'm late to the party.

Glancing up from her watch, Abigail Callaghan found herself glancing out past the restaurant’s window and into the busy streets of San Fransokyo amidst a rare summer downpour. It was almost captivating to watch people scurry by in raincoats and couples huddling together under umbrellas, their brightly colored coats offering splashes of color across the gray scene that painted the city streets. These days she delighted in the mundane parts of life quite a bit, given everything that had happened in the past few months. Putting her life back in order bit by bit- signed document by document was a daunting task, but she’d hit the ground running right after being discharged from SF General.

 If nothing else, the people-watching offered a brief respite to the reason she was sitting here waiting to meet with a representative from her former employer. Ironic how eager they’d seemed to meet with her through their emails, but now they were the ones lagging behind by 20 minutes. Which wouldn’t be terribly out of sorts were they not representing a technology giant like Krei Tech. She would’ve thought punctuality would be of upmost priority when it came to representing Alistair Krei and all that he’d built.  

 Turning towards the sound of door she was somewhat surprised to see the man himself simply walking through the doorway. Her mild surprise turning to bewilderment when she realized he’d come alone.

 There was no sign of the legal team she’d expected to meet. Not even so much as his personal attorney flanked him as he awkwardly fumbled with his umbrella and scanned the restaurant for her. In that moment, in the cheap dim lighting- Alistair Krei almost looked vulnerable. Like he was just a normal San Fransokyan caught in the downpour and late for a downtown lunch appointment. Like he was her father’s bumbling GA again, and all the money in the world still couldn’t hide those big ears and prominently pointy nose.

 Unsure of calling him out by name, Abigail scooted a chair out for him and the movement caught his eye. It was only when he got closer did she realize that his suit was as soaked as his sleek black umbrella, causing her to relax further for reasons she could quite discern.  After fighting to ring out his umbrella Krei sat down unceremoniously, only to realize he was dripping on the table.

“I do apologize, I had quite a time finding this place- and then the rain…” He started to explain, nearly forgetting himself.

Her goal had been to do this on her terms, and in her territory- to unsettle and humanize whatever corporate minions he would call upon to take care of this. However, just ruffling him personally hadn’t been in the cards, as she hadn’t expected this to be personal in the slightest. Abigail adjusted her sweater and smiled politely but said nothing.

“Ms. Calla- Abigail.” Krei cleared his throat and stumbled over the words, suddenly remembering how she’d always insisted upon ‘Abigail’ to everyone at work.

“Afternoon, Mr. Krei.” She gave him another small smile.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful it is to see you out of the hospital and getting back into the swing of things, so how’re you-”

“Welcome to Tornino’s! Can I get you both started with something to drink?” Their waiter and his sunny disposition suddenly swept over to them, cutting the blond CEO off abruptly without realizing it.

 “Water’s fine for me.” Abigail could only grimace at his unfortunate timing, anticipating his reaction to realizing he had just cut off the richest man in San Fransokyo midsentence.

“Okay and how about for you, sir?” The waiter was now looking Krei in the face, but if he recognized Krei he made no notice of it.

“Oh, just water.” Krei didn’t look too annoyed at being cut off either, in fact Abigail thought he seemed almost relived.

“So, do you need a few moments?”

“Pardon me?” Krei was taken aback, seemingly forgetting that he was sitting down at a restaurant.

The waiter’s young smile didn’t falter. “Do you need time to review the menu or do you think you know what you want?”

“Right! Yes of course. Let’s see here…” Krei speedily opened the previously untouched menu set out on the table.

“I’ll have the chicken parmesan and a side of breadsticks.” Abigail hastily ordered, hoping to give Krei ample chance to decide and prevent the waiter from making an extra trip back to their table. The waiter finished writing and immediately looked back to Krei.

“Do you have any salads? Like a Panzanella or Caprese?”

The young man looked a bit dazed. “Uhm… Well, we have a house salad. Uhh- or a Caesar salad.”

“Oh, never mind. I’ll just get the spaghetti marinara- but _hold_ the meatballs.” Upon realizing he said the last bit rather fervently Krei added on a “Please.”

Their waiter blinked at him as if he’d just requested a trip to the moon but wrote it down nonetheless. This was clearly not the kind of place where special requests were the norm, especially not ones that involved holding meatballs.

 “Alrighty, I’ll be right out with those. Anything else?”

“No I think that’ll do it, thanks.” Abigail gave the waiter a friendly smile as he shuffled away. He was surprisingly chipper- likely a fresh graduate working a summer job.

Watching their waiter walk away, Krei turned to her and interlaced his fingers.

“So Abigail, I was hoping to talk with you about a settlement that would go beyond the compensation you’re already receiving from our private carrier.” So easily he seemed to slip back into the charismatic employer she’d come to know during her brief time at Krei Tech.

“You mean the stuff from Fairfield?”

Her life had been a sea of paperwork for the past 8 months, but the worker’s compensation documents from Fairfield United Services stood out to her, mostly because of the sheer number of them.

“Yes, but I mean something beyond that. As a true expression of our appreciation for your contribution and service to Krei Tech. I personally reviewed and approved it.” He began to fish inside the inside of his blazer for something.

“So I take it you’re not giving me my job back.” Abigail shot him a tiny pout.

“I- _what_?” His baby blues widened to comical proportions as he stopped all movements to gape back at her.

“Kidding, kidding! I’m only kidding.” She said through forced laughter, not realizing he’d take it so seriously.

“Ehehe- You had me there for a second Abigail. I suppose it was still presumptuous of me to assume you would no longer be interested in working for us as a test pilot.”

“Nah, I’ve been looking into an opening elsewhere.”

“Ah, one of our competitors?” He was all smiles as he quirked his brow. They both knew there were no real competitors in that particular field to speak of, and even if there were she wasn’t _that_ petty.

“No, more of an academic setting actually.” Abigail decided she’d rather keep her newest developments under wraps for now, especially since nothing was certain. She felt he wasn’t being entirely genuine in dealing with her, even if he didn’t send a legal team to handle this.

He looked like he was about to inquire her further before thinking better of it as he pulled a thin folder from his crisply pressed blazer.

“I brought this draft along for your consideration, and we can finalize it here.”

 As Krei slid it across the table, the waiter returned with their dishes. She’d been coming here since her youth and though not her favorite restaurant, she could certainly say it was up there- suffice to say she was excited to dig in. 

She took bites of her meal here and there while she read through the document, looking up to find Krei twirling his pasta but barely touching it otherwise. 

Continuing until the end, Abigail could hardly contain her surprise when she read over the yearly payout sum. Her dark browns raised considerably before turning downward in a slight frown at the man across from her, her suspicions confirmed.  

“How does this sound to you?” Krei just continued to twirl his pasta. He almost looked nervous.

Putting it all together, she now realized why he’d had an additional settlement drafted for her, and likely why he’d also wanted to meet with her personally. It was simple; he was trying to avoid a lawsuit and thought he could buy her silence and compliance. A cheap move, but one that she’d expect from a man in Krei’s position.

“How does this sound to me?” She took another bite before insolently leaning back in her seat to regard him. “Well, it sounds like you’re trying to cover your ass- which I get.”

He visibly paled for a moment, and stopped fidgeting with his noodles. She knew he was considering her, sizing her up. Abigail was well aware that Krei knew she had pluck and a keen mind, that’s why he’d hired her above all other outstanding applicants. She also remembered who he’d been; as her father’s GA and briefly her tutor, but all that seemed a lifetime ago as she watched him study her now. 

The billionaire only straightened his blazer before narrowing his eyes and leaning across the table. As if he meant to challenge her.  “Are you telling me that you are unhappy with the settlement we have put forth? I could easily arrange for more-”

 “Is there any way to prevent you from pressing charges against my father?” She brazenly blurted out, cutting Krei off abruptly. If he wanted to play with higher stakes she might as well see if she could get what she truly wanted from him.

 “Robert Callaghan is a danger to society.” Krei didn’t waver.

“You knew his motivations. You _knew_ him.” It was a futile effort, she was almost certain, but felt compelled to try nonetheless.

“You would be hard pressed to convince a jury of that. The legal team is not only speaking on my behalf, but also the group of investors he terrorized at the ceremony.” The CEO tightened up, steeling his posture.

“So- even taking me out of the equation, they would still be pressing charges as mere innocent bystanders. And then there’s the matter of the SFIT fire, with the newly recovered security footage and all…” Krei just casually explained, and she nearly hated him for it.

 _But he was right_.

“Yes, of course.” The brunette punched a defeated sigh. From a logical standpoint, she knew he was right.

But by a cruel twist of irony, she found that she needed to stop herself from painting Krei as her enemy in this. Catastrophic portal accident notwithstanding, the man was attacked by her father, and her father was a grown man capable of discerning right from wrong.

“Abby, you know I idolized your father. This isn’t easy for me to do.” He leaned over and spoke in a conspiring whisper, as if anyone in the restaurant was listening over the mundane Tuesday din.

He hadn’t called her Abby since his brief stint as her tutor- as her father’s last desperate hope to help her get back on the right track. But she wasn’t buying it, she knew he wasn’t to blame but her petulance wasn’t entirely unwarranted either.

It was at that exact moment their server decided to present them with the bill.

“Well, you came all the way out here, it’s the least I could do.” Abigail reached for her worn brown satchel first. Richest man in San Fransokyo be damned, she wasn’t taking anything from him-including lunch.

 “You’re kidding right?” He looked incredulous.

 “No no, I insist.”

“Abigail, _please_. It’s the least I could do.” The CEO pulled a thin carbon fiber device from a different pocket and ran his thumb along the edge.

 Apparently it was a fingerprint scanning wallet as it opened with a click and he pulled a card from it- handing it to the waiter with a speed that brooked no arguments. The athletic brunette just put on the best forced smile she could muster as she watched their waiter hesitate before suddenly dashing off- presumably to process their order.

“Well thank you Mr. Krei, for taking the time out to meet with me. I know you’re a _very_ busy man. I’ll be seeing you in court I suppose.” She wouldn’t take her anger out on him directly, but she was clearly over humanizing their interactions.

“In court?” Krei’s demeanor suddenly shifted back to a dumfounded fearful gaze.

“Yes, my father’s trial.” As she reached for her bag and raincoat, she made it clear she was purposefully toying with him.

“Ahah well, if he knows what’s good for him there won’t be any need for all that. Now about those-”

 “Nice seeing you again, Mr Krei.”

Abigail reached for his hand before he could continue. For a man who had probably attended 3 dozen private workshops on ‘the lost art of crafting the perfect handshake’ his hand was remarkably limp and his wooden smile did little to cover the turmoil written on his face.

“Abby, those papers-”

 As she headed for the door their waiter came rushing past her with his manager in tow.

“Oh my god you _are_ Alistair Krei!”

“Well, I uh-yes. Yes I am. Abigail just wait a minute!” Krei stood up but now had the neighboring table’s guests attempting to speak with him as well.

Noting Abigail was still waiting by the door, he took a moment to turn back towards them. She heard him ease into the compelling, generous, down-to-earth persona that was expected of him, but Abigail wasn’t particularly interested in hearing them fawn over his charismatic charm.

Seeing him turn around gave her the chance to slip back into the rainy street without causing a scene, leaving Krei and his unsigned documents behind. 

The downpour was still in full swing as she adjusted her coat and turned towards the underground parking garage. She didn’t have time to feel guilty over shrugging off a man like Krei and his misguided attempts placate her. It was time to get home, have a cup of tea and get busy.

After all, she had an application to work on.

 


	2. plain ol' jane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail remembers first meetings, chance encounters, and simpler times while she takes the first step towards processing her emotions.

_“Dad, this isn’t even close to the hardware store.” The fourteen-year-old slumped against the weathered interior of her father’s van._

_“I know Abigail, but but I just need to pick up some stuff from work first.”_

 

_“I could’ve just walked, probably would’ve been faster...” The younger Callaghan grumbled and folded herself up in her oversized hoodie, pouting slightly._

_“Well, I thought it’d be nice to drive. I’ve been so busy with getting those midterms graded I thought we should catch up a bit.” Her father relaxed against his seat as they settled into the early evening traffic. “So, what’re you building this time?”_

_“Just some stuff.” She peered out from dark bangs at the city streets as they passed by._

_“Like what?” Robert pointedly demanded an answer, in his typical stern but warm voice._

_“Seems like you already know what.” Abigail regarded him coolly_

_“Abigail we’ve been over this. I thought I explicitly said no more bot-”_

_“Relax Dad, it’s just school stuff.” Abigail managed a smile before turning away from him. Lying while looking her father in the face was still something she struggled with, not that it mattered much. He’d probably figured it out anyways._

_The rest of the car ride was mostly quiet, save for her father’s occasional inquiries about school and her flat one worded responses._

_“Just a quick in and out.” Her father muttered while turning into the designated faculty parking spots behind the Exposition Hall. “Why don’t you come in with me?”_

_The teen mumbled her grievances but reluctantly extracted herself from the car, all coltish long legs and folded arms as she trailed behind her father to the back-lot double doors. Once inside Abigail found herself in the middle of what appeared to be a large gathering, with people spread out at different booths and tables- showcasing technology of every kind imaginable. Her gaze immediately shifted to the middle of the room where the largest exhibition was and the most people were gathered._

_Her eyes widened at the display laid out before her. No. No way._

_It was a scramjet. But not just any old scramjet concept design, this one had a cockpit. She could scarcely believe it- a cockpit! Meaning that someone would be able to fly that thing to Mach 10 or higher, and that was probably just the beginning. She’d never heard of a manned scramjet before, seeing as all of the earlier attempts had ended in disintegration after about 10 seconds do to engineering faults in the control fins which had resulted in most of the major projects involving them being scrapped years ago, or so she’d thought._

_Abigail had turned to her father for input but was intercepted by a young man carrying a large stack of papers who dashed up to the pair as soon as he spotted them. Abigail was not familiar with this tall, extremely sharp featured man who appeared to be wearing a nice button down and slacks for no apparent reason. No one else at the expo seemed to be following any sort of dress code, causing him to look slightly out of place._

_“Professor Callaghan- may I have a word?” He appeared somewhat flustered and in his fumbling he abruptly dropped the entire stack of papers, the sheer number of them becoming apparent as they spread into a white sea across the polished floor._

_Her father stooped to help, but was waved off._

_“It’s alright Professor, I’ve got them. Sorry, I ended up making double the copies because I didn’t realize it wasn’t set to duplex but I think we’ll be fine-” He paused as he looked up from the ground, finding himself suddenly face to face with the young Callaghan girl._

_“Oh, and you must be Abigail!” The angular young man suddenly switched to a syrupy tone, as if regarding a much younger child. If she didn’t think he was awkward before, this certainly wasn’t doing his impression any favors._

_“She sure is! Abigail, this is my graduate assistant: Mr. Krei. He’s been helping me a lot this semester.” Her father smiled warmly as he gestured towards the blond._

_Abigail quickly realized she knew this man already, in a way- though she’d never actually met him until now. Poking through some of her father’s documents looking for a specific schematic on experimental thermoplastic designs (...definitely not because she planned on building another bot utilizing it) had yielded several notes and emails written back and forth to an Alistair Krei._

_“Nice to finally meet you Abigail,” He extended his hand. “Come to see your Daddy’s big important job on campus?”_

_He truly seemed to be looking down at her from the expanse of his large nose as if she were a child. She was twiggy to be sure, especially compared with other “more developed” girls in her grade, but she was not a baby and just hearing his tone caused a boiling frustration to flush under her skin._

_“Hello, Alistair.” She stared him dead on as she took his hand, but was slightly disappointed not to see surprise register on his face at her knowledge of his first name._

_He still seemed all smiles as he turned towards Robert again, but Abigail wasn’t particularly interested in waiting around to hear what he and her father needed to discuss. Especially not when there was an actual genuine manned scramjet in the same room as her, after all._

_“Dad, I’m gonna go look at that Scramjet.” Abigail couldn’t maintain her chilly façade a moment longer._

_“Of course, go explore!” Robert couldn’t suppress a laugh as he watched his daughter dash off towards the display._

_After approaching the info panel and reading up on everything she could, the young girl was just dying for more. She knew it belonged to a private company on contract. But it’s history and intended purpose were otherwise left rather vague. She had no idea how many years it’d been in development or how anyone could possibly learn to fly it- the margin of error for something this fast was smaller than a pinprick. For all she knew, it may be controlled by a robot fitted into the cockpit, as she couldn’t find any more information on it besides the limited specs and general production info._

_She stopped a woman who had a name tag matching with the exhibit themes and logo. “Excuse me, but who flies this thing?”_

_“Hey there, we’ll be giving a demo covering additional information and other questions at eight!” The woman smiled at her but then paused for a moment to consider the girl before her. “Well actually, I do.”_

_“No. Way.” Abigail stood stunned._

_“Yep. I’ve been on this project for the last 9 months. I took ‘er right up past Mach 12 last week. To be honest, these demos aren’t really my thing, and there’s only so much information I’m supposed to divulge here-” The woman glanced over her shoulder before leaning in a little closer to the young teen._

_“But I can’t say I’ve ever seen a kid your age be so taken by hypersonic flight before!” The woman huffed out a laugh, but it wasn’t belittling or jeering. No, this woman seemed genuinely impressed by her._

_“Uh-I guess I’ve always been really interested in. Y’know like… Doing something no one else has before? Like, I’m the only person in the entire world with that experience. Not many people get to say that.” Abigail felt surprisingly sheepish at divulging herself like this, having long turned to more practical and real applications of her intellect- like bot fighting._

_“That’s something I like to hear! Say, what’s your name?”_

_“Abigail.”_

_They talked for over 30 minutes, stopping only when it was time for the pilot and engineers at the booth to present and do Q &A what she learned was called “Project SCRAM” to the general public. Abigail wasn’t merely interested in the plane, she also wanted to know where this woman had come from and where she’d been trained. _

_And her host was more than happy to oblige her. It was from this woman that Abby learned about the prestigious flight science program at U &P university. The woman’s alma-mater, famous for blending their flight school with the flight science courses in a duel program that apparently pushed the boundaries of flight and engineering. Of course, outstanding grades weren’t the only requirement she was told, but unusual demonstration of skills and ingenuity was a must before even being considered. Abigail didn’t bring up her somewhat lackluster academic performance of late. Their conversation ended with the exchange of a business card, which Abigail tucked into her expansive hoodie pockets._

_The young girl’s mind was abuzz with distant possibilities as she returned to her father, who seemed to be waiting for her by the back doors with a knowing grin._

_“Well, I’ve taken care of everything for today. Ready to go home Abigail?” Robert held the door open with one hand and the large stack of papers from Mr.Krei in the other._

_Still slightly shocked Abigail trailed out the open door behind her father who turned back towards her, still smiling.  “Still wanna go to that hardware store?”_

_“Mmmhm.” She could barely affirm it, deeply lost in thought._

_This had likely been his plan all along, encouraging her to see the value in higher achievement- pushing her dreams outside of the bot fighting ring. But what could she say, his plan had certainly given her pause for thought if nothing else._

 

 -

 

Abigail put her pen down and stretched out at her old desk, her psychical therapist had warned her about sitting in one place for too long as a precautionary measure. Standing up, she paced around her room, reveling in the familiar space of it all. Some months after her accident, her father had moved all of the things from her apartment to a storage locker. She’d left most of them there still, having taken up residence in her old childhood home which was already rather cluttered with her father’s things. But he’d always kept her old room immaculately clean, he always used to tell her it was for guests- never mind the fact they already had a guest room. She knew he still held out hope that his little girl would want to live at home again, and in a way he was right.

Though, she told herself she was just keeping it for him until he got back. Whenever that might be.

 

And that was as far down the road of acknowledging the state of her father’s affairs as she would usually allow herself to go. She was as far removed from the legal proceedings as she could be, not entirely knowing why she was cocooning herself, besides for the sake of her own preservation.

 

But, if she was perfectly honest with herself- she was very nearly living her life in hypersleep still. The world continued on without her, much as it had before except now her pod had 2 stories and a roof on top.

 

She’d made only minimal attempts replying to friends after they reached out to her, meeting a few of them for coffee here and there. As for romance, she’d broken up with her lover 4 months prior to the accident, and any thoughts of rekindling a long lost romance were honestly the last thing on her mind. She didn’t go out much, besides to necessary appointments which were thankfully thinning out as time passed. She still liked to stay abreast on current research in the field, breakthroughs and other relevant events, and she ate well and exercised frequently- she wasn’t in despair or deep depression. She lived rather isolated, but for some reason she felt fine with it at this stage- as if she was still rediscovering herself on her own.

 

However, today she had decided to change things up a bit and take a leap.

 

She was in the process of writing a letter to her father.  She wrote to fill him in on her life as if he were away on a trip somewhere; telling him about how she was applying for lecturing positions and how she’s trying to remember to water all of the plants. Nowhere does she mention what he’s done, her anger and sorrow at him, or the legal proceedings. But some could say, it was a start.

 

The job applications were a start too, though she was receiving plenty of money as a result of her compensation plan, she stockpiled it into her savings and didn’t want to otherwise touch it. It didn’t feel quite right, and made her almost nauseous to think about. As if she would never be free of the accident if she did- as if she were blindly letting go of the yoke and letting her life fly beyond her control.

 

Stopping her pacing, she eyed her desk but couldn’t bring herself to sit back down again and finish the letter. She was at the part where she was listing the places she’d applied to. But she was stuck on one name in particular, debating over writing it with the others or not. She’d think on it.

 

Living in her father’s old house which was the very picture of the man she’d known him to be before the accident was making her antsy, but having sent her job applications off two weeks ago, she had nothing to do but wait.

 

Resolving to stop her senseless pacing and do something more productive she opted to walk down to the kitchen instead; flicking on the small TV sitting on the book and paper cluttered counter island as she passed it.

 

“Krei Tech CEO dropping civil suit against Callaghan. Investors to follow suit-” Abigail turned it off before she heard anything further.

 

The federal charges against him still stood, of course. She couldn’t begin to think of what was going on with Krei Tech or Alistair Krei for that matter. But it really shouldn’t be any of her concern.

 She told herself she didn’t care to know but even as she was putting the dishes away- long after the TV had been silenced, she couldn’t help but wonder _why_.

 

It was then she heard the unmistakable sound of her ringtone from upstairs.


	3. she acts like summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Familiar faces abound as Abigail's past and present collide yet again. She is granted the opportunity of a lifetime, only to find this was not the doing of mere fortuitous circumstance.

_This was it._

_The culmination of all her hard work in academics, internships, and research opportunities had finally lead to this. The opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to explore new frontiers, be a part of something bigger than herself and possibly make history one day was all in the palm of her hand. Providing she didn’t literally get lost on the way._

_On a complex this big, that was very real possibility._

_Abigail struggled not to fall behind the dark-haired secretary as she was led through the lobby, but she couldn’t help but ogle the sleek interior - which seemed almost futuristic even by Silicon Valley standards._

_However, this wasn’t just any office in the valley- this was Krei Tech. The most rapidly growing tech company in the world at the moment. Looking around to see how everyone else on the campus was dressed, she felt almost underprepared in the simple starched blouse under her blazer and plain flats._

_After an elevator trip of such rapid ascent left the young pilot feeling more in her own element and countless floors off the ground, they arrived at a single door waiting at the end of a hall._

_“Wait here a moment, just let me tell him you’re coming.” The woman lightly rapped on the door, but peeked her head in before waiting for a response._

_“Sir, the next applicant is here.” She sounded almost bored as she opened the door and gestured for Abigail to step ahead._

_Abigail had expected a team of scientists or technicians to be conducting this, but the secretary seemed to be talking to an individual. She couldn’t remember reading any specific names in the email- had she misread something already?_

_“Pardon me, but who am I going to be interviewing with-” Abigail stepped into the office only to find the answer sitting at the large desk just across from her._

_Granted, he had a slightly different haircut and a nicer suit but otherwise was unmistakable._

_“Alistair Krei.” She exhaled as she stood dumbfounded in the doorway._

_Of course she’d known he was the CEO of Krei Tech, no surprises there. But, an interview for a contract position was decidedly not a place she was expecting to see his face again._

_The last time she’d seen him was almost ten years ago when she was a shell-shocked teenager left shaken by a bot fight gone bad._

_Krei almost looked as surprised as she was, as if he’d suddenly just remembered. She supposed seeing her as a fully functional adult must be a bit of an adjustment, if his facial expression was anything to go by._

_“Ms. Callaghan,” Krei reached for her hand, continuing on as if he was meeting her for the first time._

_And yet she somehow felt she truly was meeting him for the first time, as if his success and power had somehow outwardly changed him in ways she couldn’t quite understand._

_“Please, go ahead and make yourself comfortable while I pull up your file here.” He gestured towards one of two sleek black leather guest chairs in front of the desk. The desk itself was huge, and most of the top surface was taken up by a large built-in touchscreen display panel which Krei busied himself with as she pulled her chair closer._

_“Ah, here it is. Thank you Ms. Ozaki, I shouldn’t be too long.” He didn’t look up from the desk-computer combination, but Abigail noted the ease of his authority as the short haired woman took her cue to leave._

_Abigail sat silent as he began to scan sections of her resume, as if he were searching for something in particular. When he looked up, he found her silently staring back at him and he quickly averted his gaze._

_“So, after reviewing your resume on file and-” Krei paused for a moment to fidget with his cuffs; almost as if he were the nervous one for whatever reason. “-personal history, I can tell you now that you have been our most outstanding applicant.”_

_Abigail couldn’t mask her surprise at his unabashed admission. She’d never had a job interview before, but found the fact that he was sharing this with her to be surprising nonetheless- especially over such a competitive position for recent graduates like herself._

_Seeing her surprise, he seemed to relax somewhat. “I’ve taken it upon myself to review all applications for this positon personally, as I’m sure you read in the application; our newest project requires certain personality traits and skillsets that go beyond the career standard.”_

_She nodded slightly._

_“Your tenacity and ingenuity are an excellent match for our developing program and future projects.” The CEO clasped his hands together as he listed her various accomplishments and achievements._

_She heard what he was saying to her now but, instead, fixated on what he wasn’t saying. He made no mention of how he’d personally come to face-to-face with her tenacious nature, and how he’d seen her ingenuity applied well beyond what her references could say. She’d feared parts of her past would end up a skeleton in her closet during the course of the interview, but Krei seemed content just to leave it all behind. Along with the awkward, slightly bumbling, but warmer man she’d remembered him as, which she supposed was for the better seeing as he was a full-fledged tech mogul now._

_The interview itself seemed more of a formality, as it became increasingly clear that the CEO had already made up his mind. He asked her a few more questions about her internships and relevant field experiences, but otherwise kept things brief.  There were no offhanded remarks on how much she’d grown or done well for herself, much to her relief._

_As the interview concluded and Abigail had her hand on the stainless steel knob to the office door, Krei had one final question for her._

_“Oh, and Abigail?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Forgive me for this, but you’re not still moonlighting at Good Luck Alley are you?”_

_Abigail stopped dead before she could turn the knob._

_For just a moment the mask of professionalism was gone. Her mind reeled and suddenly it was a Tuesday evening afterschool in her father’s house and they were about to review her algebra homework for the next day._

_“N-no. Rest assured, I’ve put all that behind me.” She felt her face flush with a perplexing combination of amusement and embarrassment._

_“I’m glad to hear it.” He gave her bright honest smile.  “It was good to see you again, expect to hear from us within the next two days so we can finalize everything.”_

_As she turned the knob to leave and walked back to Krei’s waiting secretary, she felt a smile creeping across her face at the entire encounter._

 

-

 

Memories weighing heavy on her mind, Abigail made her way across the familiar yet altogether foreign SFIT campus for the second time in 2 weeks. A more daunting task than the former pilot had expected it to be, but that was likely due to the party she was meeting with as opposed to the pleasant late summer evening itself as the cause for her distress.

 

The initial interview with SFIT’s hiring committee 2 weeks ago had been surprisingly warm- save for one very familiar stone-faced professor, which is why it was to her chagrin that said stone-faced professor had wanted to meet with her privately for what Abigail deemed was likely to be a scathing personal rejection of some sort.

 

She’d been foolish to even attempt to apply here, even for a mere contracted adjunct lecturer position. She hadn’t faced her family history, content to just pass over it in anonymity. But no, she was Robert Callaghan’s daughter, this was SFIT and she was about to have all of this thrown back into her face by the woman whose office door she just slid open.

The room was a muted tan, books and awards were stacked neatly on cozy looking shelves and there was a large an ink washed painting of spring cherry trees in the corner altogether giving the room a warm ambiance, but the woman sitting at the large desk in the center of it all looked decidedly frigid.

 

Professor Grace Granville. Now _there_ was someone who truly did scare the bejesus out of her.

 

Though Abigail hadn’t seen Granville since she was young child, the woman seemed nearly ageless in her mind. Always stern and exacting; she’d scared Abigail as a child but occasionally showed a softer side- always encouraging a young Abigail to create and mind her father.

 

As she sat down before the older woman they made quick work of the usual pleasantries, neither one of them being the type to waste time on meaningless banter. Granville seemed eager to go in for the kill.

 

“Initially, I was the presiding voice on rejecting your application.” The professor spoke as if she were describing the weather, like the words made no difference to the brunette seated just across her.

 

 “I completely understand.” Abagail did her best to brace herself for the rest of the conversation. In truth she did completely understood the various reasons for the pending rejection completely, she only wished Granville could’ve sent her an email, a letter or even just phoned her for the sake of preserving any scrap of dignity she might’ve had left given the circumstances.

 

“Rest assured, it had nothing to do with your father; but rather your lack of experience. As you know, SFIT emphasizes professional experience above all else. Of course you already know that, as your father was no exception to that rule.”

 

“Yes, he was- _is-_ a very accomplished man.” She could no longer hide her discomfort at speaking about her father, having to remind herself that Robert Callaghan was still alive- although apparently mentally separated from the man she’d called father.

 

Granville straightened a small pile of papers in front of her, which Abigail eyed uneasily. Just wishing to take them, dash out of the room and be done with it, very unlike her usually brave persona- but that was just the effect Granville tended to have on people.

 

“Your father’s legacy has loomed over us like a dark cloud, and filling his place…” Abigail thought she caught a slight hint of vulnerability in the normally stoic professor. 

“Well, it hasn’t been easy.”

 

“Robert was one of the most talented men I ever knew. He had such a way of picking people out of the crowd and fostering aspirations into reality. His eye for the exceptional, even when it wasn’t immediately apparent is something we sorely miss at SFIT.”

 

Abigail felt her face burn with emotion and stared down at her feet, if only to save her composure. Though she was an adult, Granville had a way of making her feel like a child again, whether intentional or not.

 

“Now, I didn’t call you for this second meeting to confront your tragic family history.”

 

Abigail still couldn’t quite meet her eye, focusing instead on the SFIT seal emblazoned on the enigmatic stack of papers under Granville’s clasped hands.

 

“No, I know. Given what happened with my father- it makes complete sense. You don’t need to explain the committee’s decision further. I understand completely why you don’t-”

 

Granville abruptly interjected before Abigail could finish. “I _also_ didn’t call for a second meeting with you so I could personally reject your application.”

 

“You- wait. You didn’t?” Abigail’s head snapped up to meet Granville’s gaze before the words completely sunk in.

 

“On the contrary, I invited you here to ask if you would accept the position we are offering you.” Now the papers were pushed forwards, apparently some sort of contract.

 

“You’re hiring me?”  

 

“ _Yes_ , Ms. Callaghan, we are. Very much so.” A slightly exasperated Granville replied, but still smiled at the young woman all the same.

 

“Oh my god.” The young pilot could only mutter under her breath as she took the documents and turned them towards herself for a perfunctory inspection.

 

“Although we may receive some backlash for it, we are prepared to defend our decision. I am a firm believer in second chances and fresh starts.” Granville paused before lowing her voice faintly, in a way that almost could be called sheepish- were she anyone else.

 “As we both know, I’ve certainly been given mine.”

 

Truth be told, Abigail was rather uncertain on the terms by which Granville initially left SFIT, but took the confession to heart nonetheless. She knew this was a powerful statement, especially if Granville was even slightly hesitant to admit it.

 

When Granville spoke again, her voice suddenly back to normal levels it startled Abigail out of her trance.

 

“Not to mention the research and publishing you could accomplish while affiliated with SFIT, furthered by your previous experiences would be an invaluable asset to the university. I truly do believe you could shape the future of the aeronautics program.”

 

“Excuse me, but wouldn’t that just be a bit out of my range as an adjunct faculty member?” The smile she mustered was more nervous than genuine.

 

“Well, Ms Callaghan that is the reason I personally wished to see you here today. I was hoping to inquire about your interest in staying on in tenure track position, providing everything goes well in your first year as a contract lecturer?”

 

Bug eyed was an understatement as Abigail’s mind went utterly blank for a moment, she found herself quite unable to even utter the faintest squeak of surprise.

 

Granville continued on, as if she hadn’t just dropped an absolute bomb on the brunette pilot sitting just opposite her. “Of course we have not achieved the level of prestige we hold in our program by allowing ourselves to be bought out by our sponsors; but when the CEO of Krei Tech personally contacts us with a complete list of all the projects you assisted with and a glowing personal recommendation- I _can_ say it does warrant special attention.”

 

“H-He contacted you?” The unmoored feelings of confusion and shock suddenly began to crystalize into something entirely different.

 

“Twice, actually. Unprompted. You apparently left quite the impression- even went so far to say we’d be doing our students a tremendous disservice _not_ to hire you. Sure, it’s a little bold, but I trust Alistair Krei is not a man of idle flattery.”

 

Her initial shock turned to a simmering irritation with which she exhaled in a dispassionate “Oh.” before she could help herself.

At realizing Granville looked slightly intrigued by the exasperated tone, she quickly dashed to cover it.

 

“Well no, I suppose he isn’t.” Forcing a laugh and resting her hands on the table, her composure returned.

 

A tenure track listing after one year of adjunct lecturing was simply unheard of, it was an absolute mockery of the usual trials and tribulations undertaken to obtain such an esteemed position. And here it was- just neatly falling into her lap. Far _too_ neatly.

One thing was acutely clear, Alistair Krei was attempting to pull some strings for her yet again, and instead of leaving her appreciative it left her with a boiling rage that had little to do with the summer heat. The last thing she needed was more of this man’s pity, as she thought she’d made clear the last time she saw him.

 

“I’m sure I’ve given you a lot to think about. But, just so you’re aware; the adjunct contract is only on a yearly basis. Just in case you decide academia isn’t exactly exciting enough for you after a year and decide on other pursuits.”

 

With their business finished and Abigail left reeling with emotions of every sort; she thanked her host one final time and bid Granville farewell with the promise of sending in her paperwork and contract within the next few days.

 

She had not yet made it through the doorframe when the stern voice of Granville suddenly stopped her in her tracks.

 

“I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds here- but Ms. Callaghan,”

 

Abigail turned back towards Granville- almost expecting the older woman to echo Krei’s last minute question about her bot fighting career.

 

“Your father would be very proud of you.”

 

“I-Thank you. I hope so.” Her father’s current situation was still too deeply compartmentalized within her mind to grant her the ability to elaborate further, but the hint of a smile on Granville’s face informed her that all was well.

 

She closed the door and walked out of the hall, her face still burning hotter than the midsummer air. The exhilaration of receiving the lecturing position vastly overshadowed by her ire.

 

Perhaps it was time to fish that email regarding “maintenance shuttle plans” out of her junk folder. Though she assumed it must’ve been cc’d to her by mistake, she’d now be happy to meet with someone about them- and be _more_ than happy to tell their CEO where he could stuff his misguided pity. If she could arrange to meet with him personally, she’d give him a piece of her goddamn mind about him trying to buy her way into academia.

 

Abigail didn’t know just what Krei did to win Granville over, what smarmy maneuvering was so astute that even the likes of Granville couldn’t see through it. But, she did know one thing; SFIT’s most famous alum was about to be read the riot act, if she had anything to say about it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp it looks like someone is going to be in trouble. . .


	4. and that heaven is overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Abigail reflects on how she knew Krei before she worked for him and begins teaching... and Krei needs to come up with better excuses for meeting up with her.

_Abigail sat alone in the dining room, fuming. Of all the things she’d hoped to do after her tedious high school day ended, this was decidedly not one of them._

_Her father had told on the ride home from school that he was finally getting her a tutor to help with her homework, because his attempts at helping clearly hadn’t worked. She knew he was omitting the part about how he was too busy at this point in the semester with his students, and that this was his last resort. She’d left him with no other choice. The great Robert Callaghan reduced to getting a tutor for his wayward daughter because he had no choice._

_He didn’t say it, but Abigail could feel how much he hated to have to do this._

_Almost as much as she hated him for doing it, in that moment._

_And very nearly as much as she hated sitting at the dinner table, which was immaculately kept because no one ever actually ate there, waiting for said tutor to show up._

_But the young Callaghan surprised herself at just how much she could hate another person when she saw her father’s pointy-nosed blond graduate student come through the door. That Krei guy- Alistair. Of course that was who her father had asked to help Abigail with her work, and of course she hadn’t forgotten how he’d treated her like a baby at the SFIT expo when she’d first seen him in person._

_Just like that, the entire tutoring situation had just gone from merely annoying to totally intolerable._

_“Hey there Abigail! I’m not sure if you remember meeting me, but I’m Mr. Krei and I work for your Dad over at the university.” Ugh god. Even his voice was patronizing, and his megawatt smile didn’t falter at her steely glare, which was even more irksome._

_“I prefer Abby.” She told him flatly, disregarding all pleasantries. It wasn’t true of course, she only went by “Abby” when someone didn’t know her well enough to know that she went exclusively by “Abigail”. But she’d impulsively just wanted to exert some control here and mess with him._

_“Okay, Abby.” He nodded, infuriatingly not flustered or any less cheery at her blatant petulance._

_She inwardly seethed at not being able to get under his skin even the slightest bit._

_“So your dad said you just needed a little help with getting your homework done. Are you having trouble with something in particular?”_

_“Yeah. Doing it.”_

_“Well, I think we can work on that.”_

_“So are you gonna do it for me, Al?” Grinning as he blinked at her, delighting in how her little nickname might have caught him off-guard for even a moment. She refused to give in to his pretentious name and ostentatious positivity._

_“No,” For the first time she saw a chink in his persona, as he sounded slightly exasperated._

_“But how about we work through some part of it together?”_

_“I don’t need help; I just need to do it.”_

_Krei took a measured breath while pinching the bridge of his extensive nose._

_“So, why don’t you work through some of it with me right now?” It was clear he didn’t believe her, by the way he smiled slightly at her, insulting her intelligence by thinking he could trick her into simple compliance. He seemed to radiate an air of smug superiority by showing her that he was taking the so called high road here._

_“Yeah, why don’t I.” She unabashedly snarked at him, but still pulled out her crisp blue Algebra workbook nonetheless._

_“Tell you what, I won’t say anything. You just do it and show me when you’re done.” That surprised her, it appeared he was acquiescing. Perhaps he was more perceptive than she’d thought, although she wasn’t exactly being subtle in her distain._

_She still hated the entire idea of this, but at least she didn’t have to deal with him backseat-algebra-ing while she was working._

_The 10 problems were simple enough, basic concepts she vaguely remembered hearing in class. It took her all of 20 minutes before she was ready to show Krei her work, chagrined as she was about the idea of complying with this. But, if nothing else she could rub in his face the fact that she did in fact have a mastery over the material. And if she worked fast enough she might be able to get him out of there in time for her to get ready for that 9pm botfight._

_Wordlessly she shoved the workbook in his direction, and he began to closely examine it._

_“This,” He started as his eyes glossed up and down the page, incredulous. “This is correct. This is all correct.”_

_“Tell me something I don’t know.”_

_“Well uh- what do you want to know about?” He’d apparently taken her quip at face value._

_“What do you know about the success rates of thermoplastic versus thermoset rubber with regards to structural integrity?”  She knew better than trying to ask her father about it, as he was already on to her about exactly why she wanted to know. Robert already knew what his daughter was trying to build and she definitely didn’t need another lecture about it. Alistair just may prove himself useful here after all._

_Krei stared dumbfounded at her, and she half expected a pretentious huff of laughter to be thrown her way but none came. No, the man seemed to actually be thinking- and considering an answer, much to her surprise._

_“Well that’s not exactly my area of expertise, but- I do know that right now testing has shown thermoset rubber to have a structural advantage on a smaller scale.” He reached for her pencil and notebook._

_“Might actually be easier if we start with a list of pros and cons. I double majored in business- and I learned make lists like this all the time. Good habit to get into.”_

_Suddenly, the entire tutoring session seemed like less of a colossal waste of time to the young Callaghan girl._

_-_

_And so it continued like that, Krei came over week after week- and would busy himself with his own work while she completed hers, check over it and then finally share something with her from his graduate studies. Unbeknownst to him, it was usually something that would help her build a better bot._

_“Now help me understand something here, Abby.” This afternoon was the first time he’d ventured to interrupt her while she was mid-assignment._

_“How can a girl as brilliant as you be struggling to turn in her homework? I just don’t get it. You’re well beyond proficient at this stuff, you should be in some kind of gifted program after school instead of sitting here with me.”_

_“I just run out of time to do my homework sometimes, I guess.” She didn’t really look up from her paper to face him, but chewed a bit on her eraser while she crafted an answer for him.  “There’s too much else to do. It’s just that, there’s so much I would rather spend my time doing, instead of on something I learned how to do ages ago.”_

_The truth of it was, she’d usually spend this time preparing her bot for fights, or napping- and then she’d get home so late after the fight that she usually wouldn’t have time to finish her homework before she crashed out. Not that she saw much of a point in finishing it, for that matter._

_“I understand, I had a lot of extracurriculars going on when I was your age myself. It’s tough to balance.  Which sport do you play?”_

_“Well no, it’s not quite that.” This time she fidgeted with the long sleeves of her pullover, somehow surprised at how close he was to ferreting out the truth from her. Too close._

_He was completely oblivious, poised to ask her another question but she scrambled to put an end to that. “It’s more like an afterschool club, I uhm- I spend a lot of my time in different clubs. Because they’re more… More relevant to my interests.”_

_It was a bad lie, and she knew it. Strangely enough, she’d grown somewhat closer to him over the weeks, and it was the first time she’d felt guilty for lying to him._

_“Right,” If he doubted her sincerity he made no show of it. “Well I hope you’re beginning to see the importance of applying yourself a bit.”_

**\----**

She very nearly regretting letting her anger get the best of her a few weeks back, she had actually agreed to meet with someone from Krei Tech under the guise of offering her expertise over their latest project- a shuttle designed to provide better maintenance to the turbines over San Fransokyo. In truth, she really was just hoping Krei would show up so she could chew him out and be done with it. She was almost disappointed when a team (sans Krei himself) from his extensive R&D department showed up to meet her at her embarrassingly sparse- she was still unpacking everything-university office. SFIT had truly spared no expense, and even an adjunct lecturer such as herself received her own office space.

 

It seemed that Krei could make himself a very difficult man to contact if he wanted to, not that she’d really tried. This was honestly the only way she’d known how, seeing as not many people save for his secretary and various other company VIPs had much direct contact with him. She’d seen him on occasion when she worked for him, but  had never received a personal communique- and it seemed that Krei Tech had only grown exponentially more complex since then.

 

She tried offhandedly asking if anyone in their department had any contact with him, but it seemed he was letting this project fly itself with R&D until they had a stable concept- which was coming along simply enough. Once she planned her course-work for the week, she always had a little time left over to pour over the blueprints they’d sent her. A little change in the angle of the delta wings here, a tweak in flap positioning there, but she’d yet to see them produce an actual model that reflected her input.

 

In fact, she almost forgot to be angry at Krei, especially when she was standing mid-lecture in front of her students and everything felt strangely in place. All in all, academia was an odd choice for her, but she found herself reveling in it, and how eager her students were. But perhaps they were also eager for change of pace and having a “cool” professor who was still quite young. Much to her surprise and relief, no one had asked her about her father so far- which also made for quite smooth sailing.

Thus, her anger with Krei and Co just seemed naturally dissipate, but she had assignments to grade and lectures to plan, so there was little time for it. She had expected to be overwhelmed, but was pleasantly surprised to find things to be quite manageable with careful planning. She’d even planned for an extra credit trip to speak with a technical engineer at the local airline manufacturing facility, an old favor she’d called in from her internship days.

 

When she’d gotten the message that a member of the Krei Tech R&D team wanted to meet downtown in Kinmon Park, she hadn’t thought anything of it. In fact, she hoped they would finally a design plan that actually reflected her input, seeing as the glacial pace within which R&D worked was starting to frustrate her. And anything that could take her away from inputting grades for a moment and get her into the crisp air that was the bay area in early fall was blissfully welcome.   

 

Until she saw him standing there.

 

Sporting some type of dark and (undoubtedly) unduly expensive trim fitted business causal ensemble, the sandy haired Krei was unmistakable as she crossed to street into the park. Most people in San Fransokyo would’ve considered it an honor just to be in the tech mogul’s presence, but at this point Abigail saw it as little more than a hindrance to who she really needed to speak to. And her anger at the stunt he’d pulled to make sure she got the position at SFIT seemed to flare back to life, especially at seeing him so smugly dressed and wearing his usual corporate smile.

 

“Sorry to disappoint, it’s just me this time I’m afraid.” His face beamed, as if he were awaiting her to smile back at him in all of his clever ironic glory. As if to say _of course no one would ever be disappointed to meet up with Alistair Krei._

 

But there she was all the same. Just seeing him again seemed to remind her of how she’d practically been spoon-fed her current position, just because he’d felt sorry for what’d happened to her.

 

 “Honestly, I was kinda hoping for a member of your team. Got some things I needed to discuss with them before I have to teach my next section.” She wanted to make sure the billionaire knew that her time was just as valuable as his, as she’d done plenty of times over at Krei Tech, and even earlier- if she thought back to her youth.

 

“I don’t count as a member of the team?” He frowned in mock offense before adding, “But really, I wanted to see how the concept was coming so I know what to tell marketing.” 

 

Maybe this meeting had its merits after all, using the CEO to light a fire under R&D might just get the ball rolling after all. If she wasn’t in the mood to chew him out over his interference with her career, he could at least get his engineers to process her inputs and suggestions.

 

“Well, maybe you can tell your primary engineer he needs to listen to my input on the hovering capabilities, because right now you’re gonna need more fuel than this thing can hold just to keep in the air for a 10-minute service mission.”  Abigail began to walk around the industrial sized park planters, not keen on standing still for too long.

 

 

“Duly noted.” He still had a slight smile as he shrugged at her, not entirely unused to taking orders from her.

 

While she rather liked treating him as he would his personal assistant. But he didn’t seem to actually be taking her seriously. 

 

“Seriously though, this whole ‘groupthink’ mentality of the team is overruling common sense and wrecking the flight envelope for this thing.” Abigail was adamant. She wasn’t just another consulting expert they could stick on the product label, if they were going to ask her for input- they were going to follow through. She wasn’t going to have her name attached to a shuttle that flew worse than a bumblebee, and it was his company name so it was really in both of their best interests that this be successful.

 

“Guess you never were much of a team player.”

 

“I mean-  someone thought to ask me for my consult and I’m _trying_ to provide it. Y’know, I never wanted to do cooperate aeronautical engineering for exactly this reason. I’d absolutely lose it.”

 

At that he seemed to regard her more seriously. “Tell me what needs to be adjusted and I’ll pass it along to them.”

 

 

Abigail couldn’t suppress a brazen smirk and raised brow in his direction as she turned to face him. “Isn’t that a little outside of your job description, what as chief executive officer and all?”

 

Krei seemed to genuinely deliberate for a moment, his light blue gaze suddenly growing sharp and intense. “Well, not _entirely_ \- I manage over all company operations. That would include this. I mean, I started from the ground up, there was a point in time where I was the the only R&D I had. Contrary to popular opinion, I haven’t forgotten how the little things work.” It almost seemed as if he were trying to convince himself as much as her, as if it had frequently been on his mind.

 

“Mm, sounds to me like someone got a little tired of playing company man. You miss the innovative part of it, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah.” He released a small huff of laughter. “Yes, I suppose I do sometimes.”  Alistair looked as if he didn’t mind being vulnerable to her in the least. On the contrary, he seemed more like a tangible man rather than a persona for the first time in years.

 

Abigail knew in that moment she had him. She had something he _didn’t_ , and it was a subtly heady feeling.

His phone suddenly chimed to life from within a pocket somewhere, properly shaking her out of her trance.

“Krei.” He answered the call, but remained silent save for the occasional affirmation to whoever was on the other line.

Moments later he fumbled around in side pocket to procure a pen and business card, on which he furiously began to scribble. Abigail assumed the person on the other line must be talking very fast as he frantically attempted to keep up. She certainly didn’t envy that part of the job either.

 

The call took under a minute, and Krei shook his head and sighed when it was over.

 

“I’m sorry. I need to get back; I’ve got a two o’clock with someone from our board of directors that needed to-”

 

“Yeah, I need to prepare for my next section.” She accidentally cut him off, feeling a little awkward at their abruptly severed connection but not entirely understanding why.

 

“Listen uh- here’s my number.” The card he was furiously writing on was for her, apparently.  “I mean my personal number.”

 

At that she hesitated slightly, stopping her hand mid-reach and looking directly into his eyes with a wide stare. She couldn’t discern his intentions, and a wilder part of herself was almost content with not knowing. 

 

“So we can go over all the changes that need to be made and everything. Just let me know where and what time works for you.” Krei was already beginning to walk backwards in the opposite direction, leaving her as the last one standing for once.

 

“Oh of course, I’ll let you know.” She turned the card over in her hands, before pocketing it and turning around to begin the trek back to her office.

 

She assumed the matter must really be pressing, then. It was a strange duality, for a man who was supposed to be a driving force in the science and technology market, he sure didn’t seem like he was in the driver’s seat.

It would seem that the ball was in her court, and it was up to her to decide what to do with it. But for now, she had papers to grade and slides to prepare, she’d ponder on the thought that Alistair Krei had just specifically given her his personal number later.

 


	5. did you miss me while

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to exciting times for teenaged Abby, botfights, car chases and other typical teenage milestones. Present day Abigail tries to find her way in the world, and finds herself getting ready for what may prove to be a rather curious evening on the town.

_This was set to be the bot fight of the year; Abigail was sure of it. And everything had worked out perfectly in her favor._

_Her father was out of town tonight attending a conference and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, giving her the house to herself. She no one to answer to when she was dropped off after school and sequestered herself in her room while she prepared the finishing touches on The KittyHawk 2.0. Easily the best bot she’d ever created, capable of changing shape and molding into any sort of design she wanted through minute temperature control probes across the thermoplastic body. After a few changes in the frequency of the remote, Abigail set about changing herself._

_She was known across the botfighting circuit as “The Kid.” And since tonight people were coming from all around town to bet on The Kid vs Killer Kai, she needed to make sure she looked the part. Dressed as a disarmingly innocent girl, who was known to be ruthless in the ring; the crowds loved it. Seasoned spectators especially loved tricking first timers into betting against her, only to rake up their winnings when she inevitably won. But for her, it was about so much more than the money- there was something about the sheer thrill and rush of adrenaline that made her blood sing, and reminded her that she never wanted to stop- no matter how many times her father warned her. Donning a red and white striped shirt and short styled overalls, Abigail was just pulling up knee high purple socks to complete her transformation into “The Kid” persona when she heard a sudden knock at the door. Ignoring it, she was hoping they would leave when they assumed no one was home._

_Reaching for her matching purple sneakers she heard the front door open. No. No, it couldn’t be. Her father said he would be home no sooner than tomorrow afternoon._

_Robert would have absolutely no doubts about what she was up to once he saw his daughter dressed in some ridiculous getup while holding a bot remote. She slammed the door of her room shut, leaning against it while she waited with bated breath._

_“Abby?”_

_It wasn’t her father at all. It was worse, much worse. She’d forgotten that tonight was a tutoring night._

_“Abby? Is everything alright?” She could hear Mr. Krei’s voice from the stairs, where he stood clearly confused about the situation._

_“Your father gave me a key, asked me to check on how your homework was going and if you needed anything. Everything okay?”_

_Oh, of course he had. Abigail used just about every foul word she knew and then some under her breath while she violently tugged on the ends of her ponytail, desperately trying to think of a next move. She knew Alistair heard her slam the door, so he knew she was home- or someone was anyways. She had to say something, at least._

_“Hey there, yes- yeah everything’s fine! I uh- I can’t have tutoring tonight so I think you better go.”_

_She’d only made things worse, in fact she could hear him climbing the stairs to her room. Apparently something in her voice had aroused suspicions in him that something was indeed, terribly wrong._

_“What’s going on?” His damnably concerned voice was right outside her door._

_“I’m uh -”  If her brain had been in a less frazzled state she might’ve though of something better than. “I’m bleeding!” She stammered out in a rush._

_“Oh you- You’re-” Her tutor was hopelessly struggling. “Uhm- I think that’s normal for a girl your age. If you’re feeling unsure about it I could call your fath-”_

_“No! Ew, what the hell- not like that!” She could nearly scream such was the weight of her frustration. This was quickly turning into a disaster. “I cut my hand earlier, it’s fine. But I’m also really not feeling well.” She kicked mentally herself at the catastrophe that was her attempted story._

_“Well, if you need anything before tomorrow I’ll leave my number on the table.” He sounded somewhat relieved, if not a little suspicious._

_“Mmm.” She grunted noncommittally and listened for the telltale creak of footsteps on the old wooden stairs._

_Checking her clock, she jumped at realizing just how late it was- and shit, she had less than an hour to get herself downtown into the ring. She had no time to wait and make sure Krei was gone, opting instead to climb out of her bedroom window and use the siding of the house to descend into the yard with practiced ease._

_From there, Abigail slung her pack over her shoulder, grabbed her hat and made her way into the approaching night._

_-_

_She arrived slightly tardy to the fight, but was greeted with cheers nonetheless and she quickly presented the KittyHawk for battle, turned in her entry fee and was situated in the ring._

_Killer Kai was wearing the same facemask she’d seen on the posters- but Abigail had to admit the deformed kabuki mask was much more intimidating in person. Not that she was in any way afraid she’d lose- especially since she’d scoped out all the weak spots in their favorite bot of choice a week earlier._

_The fight turned out to be quick and easy, almost too easy. There were times when Abigail thought Kai almost opened their bot up for attack purposely. Strange, but she wasn’t arguing- not when she was sitting pretty on her vast winnings from the fight while the crowd dispersed from the warehouse into the alley._

_Killer Kai made their approach and though losers generally didn’t stick around after fights, Abigail’s new bot had performed quite spectacularly, apparently Kai had decided a little congratulation was in order._

_“Y’know- you almost made it a too easy out there.” Abigail grinned while gesturing winsomely at her bot._

_“That was the idea, Kid. I didn’t want your bot damaged.” A chillingly distorted flat voice responded._

_It was when the 3 other masked figures approached her that she realized there was something far more sinister at play._

_“Get the bot.”  Kai barked at them._

_“You- You can’t do that!” Abigail reflexively clutched the bot to her chest, remaining absolutely indignant._

_“Oh yeah? Who’s gonna stop us?” One of the masked figures taunted, making Abigail realize he was right. Unless she could outrun 3 grown men- which was tempting._

_“Get the cash too.” She heard Kai from somewhere behind the 3 figures, who were rapidly blocking her path and field of vision._

_Maybe someone in the rapidly dispersing crowd could hear her if she screamed loud enough, but she doubted it. She turned to run back towards them when she felt someone grab her arm forcefully, causing her to drop the cash and the bot. Both her and the man reached for it, and there was a tremendous tug-of-war between Abigail and the masked goon._

_“Abigail, I saw everything. You need to get out of here and- what’s going on?” For the second time that night, Alistair Krei showcased his terrible timing skills._

_She watched his eyes grow to a comical size as he took in the scene before him. Her desperately trying to hang onto her bot, 3 masked men surrounding her and money scattered all about the floor. For a few terrible seconds the scene resembled some sort of horrific still life, with everyone frozen in place waiting for someone else to make the next move. Abigail sprung into action first, attempting to wrench the bot from the goon’s grasp, the sudden force of which caused the bot split at its weakest point. The man flew back into the other 2 goons while Abigail made a break for it, running straight into Krei, who still seemed confused at what was rapidly unfolding before him._

_“I followed you here after I saw you sneak out of the window, your father told me to keep an eye on-” But Abigail wasn’t interested, rapidly pulling at his SFIT hoodie in an attempt to get him moving._

_“Go, go- just run!” Abigail reached out and dragged him through narrow passageways of the warehouse._

_“Those men, are they with that other guy?” Krei could barely keep up. “Wait- are they trying to steal your bot?”_

_Abigail didn’t answer for they’d rounded a corner only to be surprised by yet another of Kai’s men, making her turn suddenly on her heel- nearly knocking Alistair down in the process._

_“Oh my god, oh my god. They’re trying to attack us!” Her tutor shouted in a fit of hysterics._

_“I know, just shut up and go!” Abigail screamed back at him, finally finding an exit that led into the back alley._

_She sprinted with him in tow until she reached what was apparently his car, after she heard him fumbling for something she presumed to be a remote while they ran towards it.  She could hear the men shouting behind them, and wasted no time wrenching a door open and plunging herself into a seat._

_Only after they were both seated did Krei seem to realize they were in the wrong places, with Abigail in the driver’s seat and him in the passenger side._

_“Wait you’re-”_

_“Strap in, blondie!”_

_Abigail was already springing to action, pushing the keyless start button and stretching her foot out to slam on the accelerator and get them the hell out of dodge._

_Abigail never stopped to think about how the only thing she’d actually driven before was a go-kart and those virtual cars at the sim-park, but winding down the narrow alleys while dodging cats, dumpsters and various other hazards was surprisingly easy for the young teen._

_It wasn’t until she’d reached the main road that Alistair yelled “Stop!”, causing her to glance at him, but otherwise keep driving at the same speed._

_“Why? They’re probably still chasing us.” Abigail eyed the rearview mirror._

_“Because you’re fourteen- this isn’t ethical; I can’t just let you drive!” Krei sputtered at her, as if they had time for ethics._

_“You majored in business, right? You’ll get over it.” She was feeling pretty witty for a minor at the wheel driving for her life._

_“Oh my god, those motorcycles back there- I think that’s them!” He cried, grabbing the the roof handle as she sped around a turn, but she avoided hitting the curb to his surprise._

_“If we can get to 80 from here we might lose them.” She frantically looked back, hoping to catch a glimpse of their pursuers._

_“Here, just go left at this-”_

_Abigail didn’t need to be told twice and flew around the corner, not even bothering to wait for the light._

_Flying down the ramp and onto the interstate gave her a slight sense of relief, seeing as she didn’t currently hear any motorcycles behind them._

_But a row of stopped cars forced her to slam on the brakes suddenly, just in time to narrowly avoid rear-ending the car in front of them._

_“Traffic.” She said simply._

_“Shit.” Krei swore nervously under his breath. “This is- this is so bad.” Whether he was regarding to the 14-year-old driving, or the traffic, or the car chase, or probably all of the above, she didn’t know._

_“You know what this city needs?” Abigail spoke as if there was nothing wrong with their current situation._

_“We need better roads. Like- look at this, it’s like way after rush-hour and just look at it, now I get why everyone always complains about this.” She gestured wildly at the stopped traffic in front of them._

_Of course Krei didn’t respond, given the advanced state of shock he was currently in._

_“Or actually, we need a better way to get from point A to B. Like a wormhole or something.”_

_Abigail kept herself calm by babbling on, and it was quite effective for her._

_“You mean like public transit…Using portals?” Krei’s tone would’ve been that of flat skepticism , had he not been shaking quite so badly._

_“Yeah, anyone thought of that yet?”_

_He looked at her like he couldn’t quite believe she was still in the driver’s seat, and that she was still talking and somehow they weren’t dead yet. “No, no I don’t think so.” He managed._

_She hummed in response as she moved them forward another inch, which would’ve seemed very routine were she not 14 and they not fleeing for their lives._

_Finally pulling off the interstate at their first given opportunity found them on the edge of the city, and Abigail aimlessly drove around the streets for a few moments._

_“Here, here! Stop here!” Alistair was pointing rigorously at a rocket themed neon sign in front of a milkshake shop down the road._

_“Here? Why here?”_

_“People; we’ll be safer around people. And you’re gonna get us arrested driving like that. Or worse.” His senses had apparently returned, just as her adrenaline seemed to be winding down._

_“Yeah, we’ll go inside that milkshake place- there’s plenty of people in there.” He slowly reasoned aloud as she roughly pulled into the diagonal spaces, accidentally bumping the curb in front of them._

_“Okay,” She only then noticed how badly her hands were shaking as she reached up to press the ignition button and turn the car off. She breathed another unsteady “Okay.”_

_Those people had actually wanted to kill her, had stolen most of her bot and her money. Sure she knew the bot fighting crowd was rough; but no one else from the crowd- the very same crowd that cheered for her had helped her when she was being cornered. That settled heavy within her as she stared ahead._

_“Here, put this on.” Alistair handed her his SFIT zip hoodie._

_She didn’t question why he’d given it to her, besides the fact that it was night and she was dressed in short overalls and a tee._

_Pulling the zipper up to her chin, she noticed that it was still warm and it fit her more like a dress, completely obscuring her whole overall getup which she supposed was the idea- making her look less conspicuous. Turning towards him again as she left the car, it was somewhat surprising to see him in something other than his usual starched button downs. She’d never given it much thought before but the thin white T-shirt he’d worn underneath revealed he was much more athletically fit than what she’d somehow expected from him._

_With that small revelation she suddenly realized he existed outside of the bubble she’d placed him in, he was an adult - a grown man. She’d never thought of him that way, as someone who obviously had his own life and future ahead of him._

_And the guilt settled in that she could have gotten him killed tonight, just because he’d made a foolhardy attempt at keeping his mentor’s daughter out of danger. She couldn’t be sure if he was just trying to save his own ass because her father had apparently told him to check in on her, or if he honestly believed in her enough that he wanted to see her make good choices and be successful._

_They sat inside the shake shop for a good while, both of their orders melting and hardly touched. Abigail adjusted her tutor’s jacket over her shoulders, as the night’s chill and over conditioned forced air in the cheap shop bit into her for the first time._

_“Are you gonna tell my Dad?” She asked in a small voice._

_Alistair sat a long time before he could manage an answer for her._

_“I- No. No I won’t.” His voice was also muted, and his eyes were wide._

_Disbelief and relief rushed over the shocked teen in waves._

_“Just promise me something.”_

_Abigail was still watching cars go by from the window when she nodded, but apparently that wasn’t enough for him._

_“Abby.” She turned back towards him to find an intensity in his gaze that stirred up something inside her, nearly as much as running for her life had._

_“I wont tell your father, if you promise you’ll start doing your work. You’re too young to be out here, these grownups, they- you just-” He tried to grasp at the right words for her. “These people are no good. Someone your age shouldn’t be down here. No one should be down here. Places like this shouldn’t exist. I don’t know why you’re doing this, but you’ve got to know this isn’t smart.”_

_“I know.” She resigned and the silence expanded between them once more._

_“I think we’ve waited long enough.” He looked out of the window, as if checking the street where they’d parked for any sign of their pursuers. “Okay I guess I’ll uh…take you home.”_

_It was a quiet ride back, and the last time she’d see him for many years._

 

-

 

For all the recent happenings in her life, Abigail still spent a remarkable amount of time isolated from the rest of San Fransokyo. She’d never been much in the habit of stopping to think about such things, but recently she found herself doing it more and more.

 

Her time alone in the portal, when she realized help wasn’t coming but before she pushed the button that forced her into stasis- she’d never know how much time had elapsed between those 2 points, only that it had somehow changed her. It was the first time in her life when she had nothing but unbidden memories and a clawing emptiness to eat away at her pragmatism. It left a mark on her, that much was clear everyday when she came back from work and busied herself alone in her house until she needed to go back to work. It was marked in the small lapses between grading, planning the next lecture or making future research plans, the times when she would zone out entirely and wonder aimlessly about how the world now seemed to turn around her at a pace that she could only pretend she was still in sync with.

 

On a whim, a week after their unexpected rendezvous in the park Abigail finally decided to pull on that thread, especially given the fact that she’d certainly run out of patience trying to work with Krei’s R&D team. A simple text to his personal number had suddenly turned into him meeting her for coffee a few times that month about the shuttle prototype.

 

“So, you’re sure you don’t miss flying projects for us?” He’d joked as he met up with her one afternoon, after seeing her carry in an enormous stack of papers she apparently planned to grade after he left.

 

“Maybe a little,” She answered with an honest shrug but a knowing grin. “Sometimes.”

 

He didn’t dare probe further, and she knew why. They never directly talked about the accident, and she suspected it was because he was a bit of a coward. He was a cutthroat businessman, but something about her seemed to scare the bejesus out of him and yet simultaneously captivate him- enough to where he somehow always made time to meet with her whenever she pleased. It was a heady feeling.

 

-

 

They’d been meeting together for months now, sometimes twice a week, usually on weekdays and usually in some quaint little inner-rim San Fransokyo café or bistro of her choosing. She knew he lived downtown and she lived just outside city limits, so it was an easy compromise. At first the meetings were strictly about the shuttle prototype, but gradually they began to blossom into something decidedly less business directed. The prototype had hit a developmental snag a month ago, but they met just to talk anyways, and Abigail couldn’t deny that she quite enjoyed his company. 

 They started meeting later and later, until one late Thursday afternoon he’d finally decided to formally ask her to dinner for their next meeting, which she accepted without hesitation.  

 

It wasn’t a date, Abigail surmised as she pulled her glossy brunette locks into an unusually neat bun and smoothed down the front of her dress. No, definitely not a date.

 

Abigail Callaghan owned few dresses, and was seen wearing them even less- but if there was one occasion that might call for her nicest number; eating at the most esteemed Sushi restaurant in the entire city would probably be it. Admittedly she had considered not dressing up, seeing as most of her fellow diners would likely be insufferably dapper, but the risk of standing out with someone so high profile was something she resented but simultaneously feared.

A candid photo titled “modest college professor spotted with CEO of Krei Tech” flashed through her mind. That was a conversation she’d really rather have with her colleagues, and especially _not_ Granville. No one at the university really pried about her private life- not even about updates on her father, not that she had anything to give them for she hadn’t received a single letter from Robert in return to the 4 she’d sent him already.

 

In a move most unlike herself, Abigail double checked her reflection in the mirror on her way out the door and couldn’t help the subsequent eye roll at her pristine reflection.

 

Okay, _maybe_ it was a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter should be up soon, seeing as it is a direct continuation of action- but I didn't want it to turn into a monster 8k chapter ^^;


	6. you were looking for yourself out there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail goes on a date and Krei makes a move. But between the two of them, honestly, it was always Abigail who called the shots.  
> Or: Abigail makes up her mind about Alistair and her personal life.

 

 45 minutes and 50$ worth of gouging San Fransokyan parking prices later, Abigail found herself meeting a certain Alistair Krei at the front of ToraOno.

She was thankfully spared any predictable comments about her atypical choice of apparel for the evening, Krei already knew compliments tended to embarrass her. Though he didn’t say anything, she couldn’t help but notice the way in which he stared when she’d first arrived. Personally, she’d always thought she looked rather average, but to him she apparently looked a vision tonight. Krei looked predictably dapper in a sharp cut dark suit and blue tie, but this was one occasion where she finally matched his formality. ToraOno and its decidedly eccentric patrons were a tad on the ridiculous side of class and modernism, but as the pair was seated and given time to peruse the menu Abigail found the prices to be the most ridiculous of all. However, she allowed herself the occasional splurge and she’d be damned before she’d let Krei pay the bill. He’d learned to stop asking months ago.

  According to Krei, ToraOno had a colorful history as their head chef had apparently just been ousted for moonlighting as some sort of master criminal. Nonetheless, Abigail noted that the sous-chef must be just as competent while a buttery slice of ōtoro melted away in her mouth

 During a slight lull in the normal dinner conversation Krei pulled out his phone, a move most uncharacteristic when he was with her. With a slight sigh and roll of his eyes he returned the phone back to his pocket, leaving Abigail curious as to what might’ve annoyed him; she knew he usually kept strict hours with regard to handling business matters.

“So, the reason I’d invited you out here was that I’d _wanted_ to surprise you with the completed schematic of the delta wing.” He pinched his brows and offered her his best apologetic smile.

Abigail was incredulous. “You mean it’s actually done?”

“That it is. But, because of that network fiasco with those SFIT hackers last week my cybersecurity team advised that everyone keep all upcoming projects on a tighter lockdown.”

 “Mm yeah, I remember hearing about that.” She nodded offhandedly between mouthfuls.

 “Which unfortunately means I can’t access it from here, like I thought I could.” Krei explained.

 With her interest giddily piqued, she set down the ornate chopsticks and leaned forward. “But wait- you do have _some_ access to it?”

 “Technically yes. But only through my personal network.” Krei paused, brows raising before they suddenly narrowed in contemplation.  “So I suppose I could still show it to you tonight if you wanted. But on one condition.”

That took Abigail off-guard for a moment. “What’s that?”

“You let me pay for dinner.” There was a hint of a grin, the kind of arrogant smile she’d expect from a wealthy businessman in Silicon Valley, but she wasn’t standing for it. That wasn’t the man she’d agreed to dress to the nines and come out here for, after all.

“Not on your life, _blondie_.” She shrugged and fixed him with a cheeky grin of her own.  “That’s never gonna happen.”

His grin didn’t waver, apparently unsurprised. “Alright, never mind about dinner we’ll split it like usual.” The smile gave into a slight huff of laughter.  “But, I still really want to show you that schematic.”

 “Yeah? And how’re you planning on doing that?”

 “If we used the network in my home office-”

 “Are you inviting me back to your place?” Abigail cut in, never one for beating around the bush.

“Well I-.” Alistair seemed to stumble over himself, perhaps taken off-guard by the bluntness of her question before settling on an appropriately frank answer.  “Yeah, I guess I am.”

He was making very subtle overtures; which Abigail had just recently begun to ponder. He was interested in her, and she’d only just finally admitted that to herself.  She found him attractive- pointy nose included, but above all she enjoyed his companionship. Although she couldn’t help but wonder what in the world would make him interested, she supposed there was only one way to find out.

 “Alright then, lead the way Mr. Krei.”

**-**

 

Following him home and getting buzzed in at the garage of one of the top tier condos in the city had been a surreal experience, but actually stepping through the threshold of Krei’s residence was even stranger. Yet somehow, it wasn’t quite as obnoxiously affluent as she was expecting.

Glancing around at the vaulted ceilings, panoramic windows and pristine monochromatic décor, she felt the place was an interesting mix of modern opulence, yet extraordinarily plain. She absentmindedly picked up and considered a slate colored vase before setting it back down on the glass end table and wondered what kind of a place he lived in when he’d first met her, all those years ago.

  “So, what do you think?” He’d apparently taken notice of her blank stare around the room.

 “I guess it’s not _quite_ as excessive as I was expecting from a Silicon Valley bachelor.” She took the opportunity to shoot him a lopsided smirk.

 “Yeah, the one I have in New York is kinda more towards that style. But if that’s really what you’re looking for, one of my rental properties is done up with all of these ridiculous-”

 Abigail laughed and punched his shoulder slightly “Okay, shut up.”

 His home office, unsurprisingly, looked remarkably sleek to the point of austerity. But when he pulled up the schematic on a large flexible display monitor that lit up the dimmed room with an interactive projection, it was everything Abigail wanted to see. She finally felt her work over the past few months had paid off on a tangible project to which she could add her name. She could show her students, and hopefully inspire a few of them. It might not have been the most groundbreaking or trend setting project she’d ever been part of, but it was practical and useful- traits which Abigail had learned to value of late and she told him as much.

 They spent quite some time in the office before moving towards the front room to which Abigail remarked “I’ll be honest with you, this couch just a _little_ bit softer than it looks.” As she seated herself on the fastidiously white sofa, without so much as a hint of plushness beneath its ultramodern exterior.  

 “To be fair most of the furniture in here feels almost like an afterthought at this point. I almost never have time to sit here,” Alistair gave a somewhat rueful grin as he sat down across from her. “I usually get in pretty late, answer some emails, eat and get in bed. I just don’t have time for anything else, haven’t since I started Krei Tech. But I’ve been making a little bit more of an effort this year, trying to delegate a little more and balance things out.”

If she didn’t know better she’d say he sounded regretful- but surely he wasn’t that foolish.

 The hour drew quite late before either of them realized. They’d had a couple more glasses of wine, and Abigail was beginning to feel quite cozy from her spot on the couch before she’d even bothered to check her watch.

 Alistair had already shed his suit jacket and into the white button down underneath by the time he made a second return from the kitchen, with another glass for her but notably carrying a crystalline tumbler of water for himself. “I got another for you if you want it, but I’m a bit of a lightweight in all honesty. Figured that was probably enough for me.”

“Like 3 glasses of wine in 3 hours kind of lightweight?” Abigail dryly quirked at him.

“Well-” He laughed somewhat forlornly at her uncanny ability to see through even the slightest fabrication.  “I’m afraid I might say something stupid.”

“Anything stupid in particular?”

“No, no. I- I just get kind of goofy, y’know. ” His response was a total copout and they both knew it, but she decided not to push it.

“It is pretty late, so I guess couldn’t blame ya for it at this hour. You seem like the kind of guy who goes to bed at 10 and gets up at 5 o’lock sharp for tabata and hot yoga.”

“Hot yoga, Abigail? Really?” But something about his grin clued her in that somehow she wasn’t far off the mark.

 “But you didn’t deny it.” She teased further. “Anyways, I should probably be getting to bed myself."

Krei just laughed and shook his head- decidedly _not_ commenting about his hot yoga habits. “Here, I can show you out.”

They’d all but reached the door, Abigail had her back against it while they talked about what a pleasant evening they’d had, and discussed vague indeterminate plans of meeting again.  But then a funny thing happened during a pregnant pause in the conversation, while Abigail fiddled with her coat- waffling between putting it on or not. Unsure of her own motives, Alistair decided for her in a moment.

He kissed her.

Alistair Krei had simply leaned down and closed the space between their lips. It wasn’t the most dramatic kiss of her life, nor the most cohesive. It started as a simple chaste thing, Krei testing the water as if the very prospect terrified him, but nonetheless couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try. However, much like their meetings over the delta-wing shuttle, the kiss blossomed unexpectedly into something more from the moment Abigail made up her mind and wrapped her arms around his waist. The heat she could feel through the starched fabric of his shirt strangely reminded her of afterschool afternoons in days long gone by, but the spiced scent of his aftershave added an entirely different element. Krei changed the angle slightly as his hands came up to caress her exposed shoulders- tastefully slow moving but still clearly reveling in every point of contact.

 But something wasn’t quite right. This was his house and _his_ life- a strange world she wasn’t sure she belonged in. Her brain was swamped; she couldn’t think straight, she couldn’t put her finger on it but somehow she felt dangerously out of control.

 The only way she could regain herself was by breaking the kiss and pulling away for air. Alistair looked just as surprised at what had just transpired between the both of them.

“G-Goodnight Alistair.” She would forever deny the slight tremble in her voice as she fumbled for the knob behind her.

“Goodnight Abigail.” Came the dazed reply from across the open threshold.

 Even as she absently walked down the hall, it occurred to her that she never heard him close the door behind her- almost as if he couldn’t really believe she’d slipped away from him again.

**-**

 

Weeks later and Abigail still stubbornly refused to admit that she’d literally run away from Alistair Krei.

 He’d sent 3 texts since the that night, still formal enough to maintain his dignity and yet they somehow felt absurdly personal just the same. She hadn’t answered any of them; even though the third one was little more than a wellness check than anything else- she still let it burn a hole in her messages app. She was stuck, paralyzed without so much of a notion as to why.

 She continued on like this for 2 solid weeks, and it wasn’t until SFIT was on a semester break that she finally ran out of excuses and found herself spending far too much time circling back to _it._ It being the kiss, but moreover- what the kiss might mean. She only had one life, and she’d almost lost it rotting away in stasis in some godforsaken wormhole-why not just take a leap. Abigail had just finished entering grades when she finally decided to pick up her cell with renewed purpose.

[“Sorry work was absolutely crazy. I really haven’t been reading my texts like I should.”] She knew he wouldn’t buy it, and honestly she didn’t expect him to. She simply couldn’t tell him the truth because she honestly didn’t know it herself. A few seconds later she could see he was typing and her heart leapt into her throat before she could ask herself why. This was it she supposed, go big or go home.

[“Still remember where my dads house is? Would u want to meet me here?”]

She saw the typing symbol on his side for a long time before she had her answer.

[“I think I still remember & I’d be happy to meet you there. When?”]

[“Are you busy now?”]

 She saw the typing bubble start and stop several times on his side.

[“Not at all- give me 20 minutes.”]

Given the very short time it took to get to her doorstep he clearly hadn’t forgotten the way to her house, and Abigail ended up answering the door in a _very_ casual tank and shorts, but it wasn’t as if she ever paid much mind to her appearance besides looking professional for her lecture days. Krei surely must’ve figured that out quite some time ago. Upon hearing hearing the doorbell, she found Alistair waiting on the other side of her door looking the most dressed down she’d ever seen him, in a tight hooded thermal and some ankle trimmed grey joggers. Seeing him adorned with flushed cheeks and apparently still out of breath caused Abigail to realize that he’d just rushed from the gym.

“Hey.” She leaned into the door jamb, eyes clearly appreciating the view of the tight hoodie against his trim athletic form- the man had apparently kept in shape all those years since she’d last dared notice such things.

“Hi.” Alistair just stood there awkwardly, his eyes a mix of vulnerability and guilt. “Listen- uh Abigail, about that day-” He could barely fumble his way through it, but damned if he wasn’t trying.

“Why did you do it?” She asked, as direct as she thought she could possibly be.

 His soft blue eyes go wide with fear, as if she’d just gone in for the kill. “I honestly thought it was within the parameters we’d set.”

 “What- you think this is about the accident? I was talking about the kiss.”

 “Oh- oh, that. I…” Alistair turned even redder still at that but eventually became capable of speech. “I always knew that girl who skipped her homework to sneak out and go bot fighting was going places. And you did, Abby- you really did. It was an honor to have you as a project engineer for that precious year. I was absolutely captivated by the woman you’d grown into. I guess liked having you to argue with me again, and keep me in check. This job- the company, it’s so easy to let that stuff go to my head.”

 “So you like me because you think I prevent you from turning into one of those regular Silicon Valley self-made assholes?” She crossed her arms and leaned into the doorway, one brow raised at him.

“No! No, it’s not that. It’s just- I thought my company was basically responsible for your death. I kept hearing that ‘these things happen’ and for a while there I actually believed it, but I just couldn’t stop coming back to it. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, who hasn’t- but… No matter how the accident is explained, if it wasn’t for a decision made by _me_ it wouldn’t have happened.” His voice grew thick with emotion as he looked down at his sneakers, not brave enough to meet her gaze.

 “Yes it would.” She answered simply.

 Flummoxed, Alistair suddenly raised his head once more. “How?”

 “I would’ve demanded an override, and probably further embarrassed you in front of that bigwig general. You know I would’ve.” Her smile faded into slight frown of determination. “I’d done the calculations myself, we were well within the safe range that the design was supposed to require. That flaw wasn’t your doing.”

 To her slight disappointment it appeared Alistair wasn’t quite convinced as he shook his head slightly in response. “Well I suppose not that part directly. But, when that kid- Hiro, brought you back _alive_ I just couldn’t believe it and I having you in my life again is a little overwhelming, but that night I- I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me. It was inappropriate, I mean I’m probably too old for you and the dynamic is all wrong, but it’s just that-”

An attractive billionaire was standing in her doorway calling themselves too old for someone, it was strangely endearing. The color that had diffused from his cheeks was steadily rising back again as he rambled. He was really making a mess of things, but somehow she didn’t mind, in fact it almost made him more attractive.

 “I really wanted you to stay. It’s like I can’t believe you’re actually here and I don’t know what I was thinking. I sincerely apologize if I-” At that Abigail decided that she’d had enough of words, instead opting to grab the front of his hooded thermal and pull him down to her lips. She’d _show_ him that he had nothing to apologize for.

 The kiss was clearly unanticipated on his part, but to his credit he caught on pretty quick and their lips danced around each other for a few exquisite seconds. Just as Krei seemed to be fully engaging with her, much to her displeasure he gently broke away.

 “Why did you do that?” His wide eyes were more than a little dazed.

 “To prove that you haven’t done anything you need to apologize for. Well, besides stopping.”

 That was clearly all the invitation he needed and more. This time their lips met in the middle as she pulled him inside and somehow managed the close the door behind him. Abigail took the opportunity to push him against the door and gently nip into his bottom lip. If his surprised grunt was anything to go by, he certainly hadn’t been expecting that but quickly returned it in kind by ardently dipping to nibble on her jaw before returning to her lips once more.  Finally breaking for air, she panted warm breaths against Krei’s chin while he squeezed her tightly to him, as if he were afraid she could vanish from his life once again at any moment.

 They continued on like that for some time before she cast her eyes downwards and found that she clearly wasn’t the only one ridiculously worked up by a simple make out session. Alistair let out an embarrassed huff of laughter when he followed her gaze down to the place where his erection had made a comically prominent outline in the front of his sweats.

 At the sight of him in such a state she felt something uncoiling that had been wound tight for some time. A powerful white-hot need licked through her, and she couldn’t remember ever feeling the want for another person quite so acutely. Reaching for his hands, she started to lead him back towards the stairs, stopping for a moment to catch his lips mid-staircase when the need became too powerful, before leading him up to her room.

 She went first, the first who dared to admit what things were clearly moving towards by removing her tank and her shorts, leaving her in but a sport bra and panties. Lightly pushing him back onto her mattress she moved quickly before Alistair could become too preoccupied with the fact that the object of his _very_ apparent desires was now half naked and partially straddling him on her bed.

 “Might need a hand with this.” She motioned for him to raise his arms enough to allow her to remove the hoodie from his shoulders. Underneath she was delighted to find that his skin was flushed and still warm from exercise and arousal, the hard muscles of his chest rising and falling rapidly as her hands explored it approvingly.

 He took advantage of her position and pulled her down to him, meeting her lips once more, tongue eager to explore her. Finally, Alistair’s hands began to wander somewhere less virtuous, tentatively sliding from her back down to the smooth curvature of her ass. Tempted as she was to urge them to move further on and sate the aching emptiness of her core, she let him take things at his speed. But she figured removing her bra and tossing it across the room might get him in the right direction.

 “You’re beautiful. Really.” Alistair gazed up at her, big blue eyes awash with wonder.

 “You’re just saying that because I’m naked.” She planted a peck on his long nose before realizing she wasn’t quite naked, _yet._

 “No, even when you were half-drenched in coolant after that whole ‘alternative fuel’ fiasco, I was honestly astonished how beautiful a pilot screaming orders at a development crew could be.” While his words were honest and upstanding, the feel of his large hands kneading at her pert breasts was delectably corrupting.

 She couldn’t quite find the right words to respond to that, so she settled for smiling impishly and removing his pants, revealing some notably tented boxer-briefs.

 “I can’t really believe this is happening. I never thought- _ngh_.” She abruptly cut him off with an experimental stroke against the outline of his cock.

Krei was looking delightfully debauched, all kiss swollen lips and normally pristinely kept blonde hair now in a riotous state. He didn’t look a thing like the formidable business man pictured in several of Forbes’ best listings, but Abigail found that he’d never looked more attractive to her. She could see a wet spot forming where he was straining against his underwear with want for her, and she was in a similar state, moving up to grind against him in search of friction. At long last it was Krei who couldn’t stand the teasing anymore, his voice thick with arousal “Do you have any-”

 “Yeah, just a sec.” She knew exactly what he needed and practically leapt off him. The box of condoms she’d brought from college years ago sat untouched in its hiding place within the confines of her closet. A little awkward nearly naked rummaging and she had her prize. Although she hadn’t cycled since the accident, it was always a good precaution she supposed.

 Once she handed it to him, she took the opportunity to slide her underwear to the floor and lie back on the bed. “We’re really doing this.” Krei uttered, both a question and a statement all in one as he crawled over her and shed his boxers as well.

 “Mmm, I hope so.” She dragged his hand to the place she needed him most, delighting in his sharp intake of breath when he realized just how ready she was for him. Freed from its confines, his cock twitched upwards and pearled with more fluid at the tip while his hands caressed her wetness. Much to her appreciation, he was _quite_ well proportioned.

It took Alistair but a moment to prepare and position himself before he was sliding inside and suddenly Abigail felt more alive in that moment than she had in months. She breathlessly keened as he bottomed out, gripping his waist in an effort to get him to move.

Once he started moving in earnest it was as if she only then realized just who she was doing this with and where. She was fucking Alistair Krei on her childhood bed, inside her father’s home where, once upon a time, Krei used to tutor her. But there was also something remarkably disconnecting about it, as if they were just people, prior and current personas completely disregarded- and that was the best part of it. She could allow herself to just feel and be felt, as each sensation washed over her.

 Wrapping her legs around him, Abigail sought to bring him even closer to her. She didn’t usually orgasm during intercourse, but she was somehow so close already- and like this Alistair could reach that rapturous spot inside of her on each stroke. A few more thrusts like that and she was clenching in vice like spasms around him, crying out without restraint. She gathered it may have been a bit much for Alistair as he had to slow down, lest he end things too soon. 

 Abigail laughed sheepishly, slightly embarrassed at her own wanton vocalizations. “Sorry, I guess I’ve wanted this for a while.” She was admittedly not much for dirty talk, and in the moment it came out more like a confession than anything else.

However, the effect on Krei was immediate. “You- you what?” He asked with breathless wonder.

She reached up to thread her fingers in his hair and hold him closer so she could tell him in a quiet voice “I’ve thought about fucking you before.”

 That apparently did it for him. “Abby-… _fuck.”_  Alistair swore viciously before his sweat slicked body tensed as he reached his peak. He’d tried valiantly to stave off his own climax, but he was only a man after all. “Holy shit.” He panted against the nape of her neck and collapsed against her.

That just happened. She was equally as dazed, and a little sweaty, but felt absolutely invigorated. It was a good while before either one of them were capable of lucid speech.

“I’m sorry, that was…fast.” Krei rolled over and threw an arm over his face as she giggled quietly. Abruptly throwing himself to his feet , he made quick work of cleaning himself up in the bathroom.

“Honestly, I haven’t been like that since college.” She heard him mutter from the other room before he returned, naked as ever, to join her on the bed again.                   But his comment had reminded her of something.

“I meant what I said, y’know. Now that I think about it, you were probably the first person I ever fantasized about.” She stretched out, a lazy contentedness in her eyes.

“I don’t quite follow.” Alistair raised a brow, clearly unsure of her intentions but curious and amused nonetheless.

“After the botfight thing you stopped tutoring me, but you kept my secret. I dunno, I guess I had a crush on you. A few times I fantasized about you coming back to tutor me and then you’d start touching me and we’d have sex on the kitchen table or something.”

At this his eyes grew wide as he pushed himself up slightly “But you were just a kid! Surely you knew I’d never think about you like that.” Sounding as indignant a naked man in the midst of a post-coital cuddle could.  

Abigail only rolled her eyes at his display. “Well _obviously not_ , it was just a hormone filled fantasy I made up about you when I was like 16 or something. I’d long been over it by the time I went to work for you, so I promise I wasn’t thinking any creepy at KT.”

 “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone confess that they fantasized about having sex with me. I don’t know what to say to that.”

 “You seemed to like hearing it before.”

 “Well not like- that’s not-” Krei was turning quite pink again as Abigail grinned wickedly.   “No comment.” He pulled out his ‘interviewer-asked-a-loaded question’ response voice.

 “Your face is literally plastered all over world. I’m sure someone out there has-”

“No one like you.” And that was it. Anyone else who wanted Krei- plenty more attractive and capable women than she, apparently had a major flaw in his eyes. He’d apparently wanted her because of who she was, an all encompassing thing rather than a single trait.

 

 Eventually, loathe as they were to move from their comfortable nest on her old bed, they both had obligations they couldn’t ignore. She dressed ruefully, and after a phone call from his assistant, Alistair also began dressing at a glacial pace. Eventually he managed to reach her front door, where she could see he’d parked his surprisingly inconspicuous black 4x4 imported-model-something in her driveway. Sure, it probably cost more than the house itself- but it wasn’t garishly out of place. Somehow it fit; much like the man himself who she stopped just before he reached the door.

“You wanna get some take out tonight?”

“Yes! Yes. I absolutely would.” He was trying not to sound too excited at the prospect, and she could tell.  “Your place or mine?”

Abigail considered a moment. “Mmm…Mine.”

 “Alright, well I should be done around 6. But maybe I can convince my boss to let me go early-”

 She didn’t let him finish his dumb joke. “ _Okay_ , don’t be an ass.” But gave him a peck on the cheek in return.

“Yeah…Not my best.” He was apparently too jubilant to be embarrassed at his own poor humor.  “But 6:30 I’ll be here.”

As she closed the door behind him and stood against it, she couldn’t help but feel a metaphorical one beginning to open. She was ready to admit her loneliness, as impractical and pointless as it was. She’d lived a lonely existence these past months, and she was ready to start opening doors to the outside world again. She didn’t know how far this particular thing might go, but with a personal life as dead as hers, there was really nowhere to go but up.


End file.
